Spanish Relative Pronouns Practice

Q: When do I use que vs quien?

Que is the default for people AND things: el chico que vino, el libro que leí. Quien (plural quienes) only appears after a preposition (con quien hablé) or in a clause set off by commas (Mi abuela, quien tiene noventa años...). Saying "la mujer quien vive aquí" is the classic English-speaker error.

Q: What's the difference between el que and el cual?

Both combine an article with a relative and agree in gender and number: la empresa para la que / para la cual trabajo. El que is the everyday choice; el cual sounds more formal and is most common in careful writing, especially after longer prepositions like según, mediante or a pesar de.

Q: When do I use lo que vs lo cual?

Lo que translates "what" in the sense of "that which" and can start a sentence: Lo que dices es verdad. Lo cual never starts the idea — it looks back at a whole clause already mentioned: Llegó tarde, lo cual molestó a todos. In that comment position you can use either, but only lo que can stand at the front.

Q: How does cuyo work?

Cuyo means "whose" and behaves like an adjective: it sits directly before the possessed noun and agrees with IT, not with the owner. El escritor cuya novela ganó — cuya is feminine because novela is feminine, even though the writer is a man. And "que su" is never a correct substitute.

Q: Can I use donde instead of en el que?

Yes, when the antecedent is a place and the clause says something happens there: la ciudad donde nací = la ciudad en la que nací. Donde is usually the more natural choice in speech. But if the place is a direct object rather than a location — la ciudad que visité — you need que.

Q: Are these exercises free?

Yes. All 30 exercises run right in your browser, need no signup, and give you a clear explanation after every answer.

Question 1

El libro ___ está en la mesa es mío.

Accepted Answer

que. For a thing (el libro) the default relative is que. Quien is only for people, and cual needs an article (el cual).

Question 2

La película ___ vimos ayer era muy aburrida.

Accepted Answer

que. Que also works when the thing is the object of the clause: la película que vimos. Lo que would only work with no noun in front of it.

Question 3

La chica ___ vive aquí es mi prima.

Accepted Answer

que. Even for people, the default relative is que. English "who" tempts you toward quien, but "la chica quien vive aquí" is wrong — quien needs a preposition or commas.

Question 4

¿Conoces al hombre ___ trabaja en el banco?

Accepted Answer

que. A person as the subject of a restrictive clause takes que, not quien. Quien here would sound wrong to a native speaker.

Question 5

Tengo un amigo ___ habla cinco idiomas.

Accepted Answer

que. Same trap again: "a friend who speaks" is un amigo que habla. Que is the everyday relative for people and things alike.

Question 6

Las flores ___ me regalaste son preciosas.

Accepted Answer

que. Que never changes for number or gender: las flores que. Quienes is only for people, and las cuales needs a comma or a preposition.

Question 7

Ese es el profesor ___ enseña matemáticas.

Accepted Answer

que. A restrictive clause identifying which teacher takes que. Quien and el cual can't act as the subject of a restrictive clause like this.

Question 8

El regalo ___ me disteis me encantó.

Accepted Answer

que. The gift (a thing) as object of the clause takes plain que. Lo que only replaces an abstract idea, never a stated noun like el regalo.

Question 9

Which sentence has a relative-pronoun error?

Accepted Answer

La mujer quien vive aquí es profesora.. "La mujer quien vive aquí" is wrong: in a restrictive clause the subject relative is que, even for people. Quien needs a preposition or commas.

Question 10

La comida ___ preparas siempre está deliciosa.

Accepted Answer

que. Right after its noun and with no preposition, the relative is plain que. La que would need a preposition in front (en la que, con la que).

Question 11

Esta es la casa ___ pasé mi infancia.

Accepted Answer

donde. For a place where something happens, use donde (= en la que). Plain que would wrongly make la casa the object of pasé.

Question 12

Which relative pronoun works for both people and things in everyday Spanish?

Accepted Answer

que. Que is the default relative for people AND things: el chico que vino, el libro que leí. The others only appear in special contexts.

Question 13

La persona con ___ hablé era muy amable.

Accepted Answer

quien. After a preposition, a person takes quien: con quien hablé. Bare "con que" is wrong for people, and quienes would need a plural antecedent.

Question 14

Los amigos con ___ viajé son de Sevilla.

Accepted Answer

quienes. Quien does have a plural: los amigos con quienes viajé. Forgetting to pluralize it is a classic slip — the antecedent is los amigos.

Question 15

La empresa para ___ trabajo está en Barcelona.

Accepted Answer

la que. After a preposition, a thing takes article + que, agreeing with the noun: para la que (la empresa). Quien is reserved for people.

Question 16

El edificio en ___ vivo tiene diez pisos.

Accepted Answer

el que. En + article + que for things: en el que, agreeing with el edificio (masculine). La que fails the gender agreement, and quien is people-only.

Question 17

Las razones por ___ me fui son complicadas.

Accepted Answer

las que. The article must agree with las razones: feminine plural → por las que. Quienes is impossible because reasons aren't people.

Question 18

El informe, ___ fue publicado ayer, contiene errores graves.

Accepted Answer

el cual. In a formal non-restrictive clause, el cual agrees with its noun: el informe → el cual. Lo cual would refer to a whole clause, not to a noun.

Question 19

No entiendo ___ quieres decir.

Accepted Answer

lo que. When there's no noun to hang the clause on — English "what" = "that which" — Spanish uses lo que. Plain que needs a stated antecedent.

Question 20

Volvimos al pueblo ___ nos conocimos.

Accepted Answer

donde. The village is the place where you met, so the relative is donde (= en el que). Plain que would make el pueblo the object of conocimos, which is a different meaning.

Question 21

Llegó dos horas tarde, ___ molestó a todos.

Accepted Answer

lo cual. The relative refers to the whole fact of arriving late, not to a noun, so it's the neuter lo cual. El cual would need a specific masculine noun as antecedent.

Question 22

El escritor ___ novela ganó el premio vive en Madrid.

Accepted Answer

cuya. Cuyo agrees with the thing possessed (la novela, feminine), not with the owner (el escritor) — the classic cuyo trap. "Que su" is never correct Spanish.

Question 23

La profesora ___ alumnos aprobaron todos está muy contenta.

Accepted Answer

cuyos. Again, agree with the thing possessed: los alumnos is masculine plural → cuyos. The feminine owner (la profesora) plays no role in the agreement.

Question 24

Which sentence uses "whose" correctly in Spanish?

Accepted Answer

El hombre cuya casa es azul vive aquí.. Cuyo behaves like an adjective and agrees with the possessed noun: la casa → cuya casa. It never agrees with the possessor, and "que su" is not Spanish.

Question 25

Mi abuela, ___ tiene noventa años, vive sola.

Accepted Answer

quien. Between commas (a non-restrictive clause), quien is fine for a person. Quienes fails because mi abuela is singular, and el cual fails the gender agreement.

Question 26

El médico a ___ llamamos llegó enseguida.

Accepted Answer

quien. After the preposition a, a person takes quien: a quien llamamos. Bare "a que" is wrong here; you'd need "al que" to use que.

Question 27

Choose the correct form: "La casa en ___ crecí ya no existe."

Accepted Answer

la que. After a preposition, a thing takes article + que, and the article agrees with the noun: la casa → en la que. You could also say donde, but not quien.

Question 28

Which sentence is wrong?

Accepted Answer

El coche quien compré es rojo.. Quien can only refer to people, so "el coche quien compré" is impossible. A thing takes que: el coche que compré.

Question 29

Los documentos, ___ llegaron esta mañana, ya están firmados.

Accepted Answer

los cuales. The el cual family agrees in gender and number: los documentos → los cuales. Lo cual is neuter and refers to whole clauses, and quienes is people-only.

Question 30

Choose the correct word: "___ dijo el profesor no era verdad."

Accepted Answer

Lo que. English "what" meaning "that which" is lo que in Spanish: Lo que dijo el profesor. There's no noun antecedent, so plain que can't work.

Spanish Relative Pronouns Practice

The rule, in plain English.

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